Rose's Army
by Steven Quartz Universe
Summary: A month after the events of Rose's Scabbard, Pearl takes Steven back to the Strawberry Battlefield to teach him about Rose's army. What none of them know, however, is a few gems that had survived the war against the Diamond Authority are coming back… For revenge.((Rabbitify helped me write the first chapter/Categories due to change)) !ON HIATUS!
1. Chapter 1

It was just the two this time; Pearl and Steven, walking through a large field of strawberries. The two walked along the path, taking in the serenity. All was silent for the time being, the only noise coming from the subtle splashing of footsteps on juice puddles. Pearl took the time of silence to take in these familiar surroundings.

Looking around, she could see the grass, tainted red by the strawberries lying across the ground. It was a magnificent sight. Back when they were preparing for war, this field was empty. It was like a beautiful meadow where the soft green grass would sway gently with the wind. It was beautiful, but at the time, Pearl didn't care much for Earth wildlife. She was too concerned about the upcoming battle that took place here. Now… It was a splendor. She had never seen it look so interesting. Just looking at this strawberry-filled battlefield made her remember how wonderful Earth's nature was. This planet had made so many magnificent things, from this marvelous sight to Pearl's old tree. It even made _Steven_… The one she had brought here to teach about the war that had taken place.

Thinking about the young half-gem gave her mixed feelings. She loved him and would never want him to get hurt, but sometimes she couldn't help but loathe him. Pearl knew she couldn't blame him for something he couldn't control, but there were times when she did anyway. But now wasn't the time to think such thoughts; she had to teach Steven about gem culture.

When she realized she had zoned out and let her depression get to her, she couldn't help but wish Rose were here. Pearl's attention drifted toward Steven who was looking at all the weapons they passed by, unable to contain his excitement. It all looked so cool to him. He knew what Pearl had brought him here for and he couldn't wait to learn it. He wanted to learn about the army and the war right now!

Watching Steven, Pearl couldn't help but chuckle. He was so much like his mother, and she was more than glad to teach him about how Rose protected Earth. Rose had always brought Pearl so much joy, and now, her son was following in her footsteps.

They walked a bit more before Pearl finally spoke. "_Okay, Steven_." Pearl stopped walking and noticed how quick Steven was to follow, looking her straight in the eyes. He was eager to learn this time, which Pearl found odd. Every other time Pearl tried to explain and teach Steven about gem culture, he'd just zone out and never actually _learn_. The excitement and eagerness in his face told Pearl that he actually _wanted_ to listen, which made Pearl pleased.

She cleared her throat just to make sure she had his full attention, and then began their lesson. The tall, slender gem began by elaborating on the large weapons that littered the battlefield. She explained how most of the gems that fought were fusions, which is why most of the weapons were so huge. Finally, she explained how Rose's army had been handled.

"There were four different groups in her army, Steven. There was the main group: The Crystal Gems, and then there were the other three. They had no names, but each of the three groups were vital to our cause. One group was full of healing gems that would help fix the wounded. Another was full of gems that had great knowledge of survival. This would be the group that went and gathered resources for the army. The last group was the largest of the three: the one that took up most of the population of our army."

She looked down at Steven to make sure he was listening, and to her surprise, he _was_! She continued to tell him more with a satisfied smile.

"Each group had a leader that would watch over the doings of their assigned group. Rose, of course, was the leader of the Crystal Gems!" Pearl's spirits lifted so much! It was almost too easy to forget her grief at the mention of _Rose_…

Steven blinked, a curious look on his face. "Who were the other leaders?" Pearl put her finger on her chin, thinking for a moment. It had been so long… She didn't expect to tell Steven the names of any of the gems that had fought.

"_Well…_ If I can remember correctly… They were Cornelian, Dragon's Eye, and Quartz." It took a moment of prior thinking, but she'd landed on the right names. Trying to recall specifics would only give her a headache, so she didn't try and just continued with the lesson. While Pearl explained the rich history of the battlefield, Steven listened intently. As Pearl talked about the importance of brains and weaponry in combat, he took note.

"It's not about your ability to be able to hit an enemy in the head with a mallet, it's about knowing the right chance to strike and knowing how to avoid any attacks. There was a lot of training that went down while we were preparing for war. Luckily, the training paid off by the time the Home World gems had reached us…"

Pearl gave off a smile, going silent once again, her mind unfocused. She clenched her hands together and interlocked her fingers, resting them on her chest. She looked up into the sky, watching as the clouds gently drifted by along the light blue ocean of atmosphere. She was lost in her thoughts, remembering how beautiful Rose's fighting techniques were. The way she would swiftly swing her sword and gallantly move across the battlefield, helping any of her comrades in need... It was such an amazing thing to see.

"_Pearl…_" The tall gem could hear Rose's voice echo through her head. It made her heart well up with sadness and joy, remembering how wonderful it was to have her around.

"…_Pearl…_" It seemed like Rose's voice was a broken record that never grew irritating. Pearl could listen to her say her name over and over again for as long as she existed. Keeping her eyes closed, she tried to imagine her standing there, wanting to see her face again. She almost had it when her thoughts were interrupted, feeling a tug on her skirt. When she looked down, she saw it was Steven.

"Pearl!" The boy exclaimed, happy that she was back to a normal state. The gem blinked for a moment. Realizing what had happened made her cheeks flush with embarrassment. She felt a little guilty.

"_I_… I zoned out again, _didn't I_…?" She asked, a small hint of shame in her voice. Steven felt a little bad, so he just nodded, not wanting to make her feel worse. Pearl had been zoning out like this for about a month. So many things have been reminding her of Rose Quartz. She just couldn't get the pink gem out of her head, no matter how hard she tried.

It wasn't just the recent events; something else had brought those memories to light, too. It was a sort of dark feeling in her gut, with Rose at the root. Pearl had a feeling that something was going to happen soon. She wasn't exactly sure what it would entail, but she knew it had something to do with Rose Quartz. This made Pearl fearful for Steven's safety.

Even back when they were kidnapped by the Home World gems only two weeks ago, Pearl could hardly keep her mind off Rose. When she was trying to turn the ship around, she had no intentions of causing the ship to plummet, but the thought of her beloved Rose left her distracted. She couldn't control the ship properly.

That single event had put their lives at risk, and it was time to admit this was a problem. Something was coming. There was a moment of silence, and then she spoke again. "Did you… Was your lesson sufficient..?" She looked at Steven. Truthfully, all Pearl wanted to do was go back to the Temple and relax, but she had to make sure he'd learned enough.

When Steven nodded in return, she knew the lesson had ended. Pearl was relieved. She headed back to the Warp Pad with Steven in tow. It didn't take very long for them to make it back to the crystalline platform. As they warped, Pearl made a note not to think of anything until tomorrow. She was certain that relaxing and meditating on her pools would do her some good.

Pearl concentrated a little bit, causing a white light to beam straight up like a beacon. Within seconds, Pearl and Steven started to float up and soon disappeared. The light finally dissipated.

###

A fiery blur zoomed through the jungle, swinging from vine to vine before landing on the grass. From there, she sped through the foliage, dodging any upcoming obstacles. She was going to find her. She was going to find the one who abandoned her and everyone else so many years ago. She was going to get her revenge.

She didn't know exactly where her target lived, but she knew many other things about her. It saddened her quite a bit to know that a person like her would do such a thing. She also knew that nothing, not even her personality, could justify her actions.

She came to a stop to catch her breath, leaning against a tree. She was what appeared to be a gem in amber warriors' clothes, her gemstone just above her tailbone. The gem used this brief moment of quiet and relaxation to her advantage. She had a general idea on how she would find the traitor, but she still had to establish many holes within her plan. She didn't want to mess up and risk getting sent back into her gem again. It was horrid in there.

Whenever someone was sent to their gem, they had no control over where their gemstone went. They could be imprisoned against their will; they could be picked up and eaten by a disgusting animal, or even worse…

They shook their head to get rid of such a thought. They had to quickly establish some more details before continuing onward. She _would_ take her time, but she didn't want to be spotted by a predator. She didn't want to bother fighting a creature, even though she could easily win. After running so fast for so long, the gem eventually had to catch their breath which left them in a vulnerable state, being so short.

It took some time, but she finally figured out what she wanted to do. She knew how gems' guards were down whenever night time came around, because they usually weren't expecting a fight so late at night. The gem grinned at her plan, did a couple of short warm-up stretches, and continued to run.

Their mind was set on getting revenge on her…

_Rose Quartz…_


	2. Chapter 2

Steven was only half-conscious, still on the verge of waking up. Yesterday was more exhausting than he remembered. He stretched a little bit, lifting his arms up into the air. He made an attempt to sit up, but his mind wasn't completely awake yet. While trying to wake himself up, he could hear a conversation downstairs.

"But why does _Pearl_ have to go, Garnet!? We don't need her on this one!"

No response came to the nasally loud character. Steven figured Amethyst was trying to get Garnet not to take Pearl on a mission. The boy made another attempt to wake himself by stretching again and succeeded. Steven yawned a little bit and blinked open his eyes, rubbing them a bit so he could focus.

He sat up, taking a glance at his surroundings. He was upstairs, inside a small room in the wall. In front of him was a TV just a few feet away. To his left were some posters taped to the wall and a large window. Steven hopped off his bed and walked down the stairs, heading over to the kitchen area. The boy climbed onto the counter-top and pulled out a cereal box and a bowl.

He got back onto the floor and pulled some milk out of the fridge. He poured the cereal and milk into the bowl. After he finished, he put the milk back and got out a spoon. Steven smiled as he was about to indulge in the Crying Breakfast Friends cereal. Steven scampered over to the seats by the counter-top and climbed onto one. Before anyone knew it, he was stuffing his face with his breakfast.

The two gems by the Warp Pad, Amethyst and Garnet, took notice. A chuckle came from Amethyst as she walked over to Steven, watching him chow down. It didn't take long before his bowl was empty, milk all over his face. He wiped his face off and looked over at the gem standing next to him. She was purple and had almost white hair. She wore purple attire and black pants with stars cut into the knees. Her gem was located on her chest.

"Hey, Amethyst!" Steven chimed. "I heard you're going on a mission?" Excitement filled his voice as he spoke. He was hoping he'd get to go on the mission with them, too.

Almost as if the stout gem could read his mind, she responded. "Sorry, buddy. You can't come along." Steven's smile turned into a frown.

"Aw, _why not_?"

"We're going on a scouting mission to search for Peridot. Garnet says it's not safe for you to come."

Steven looked at Garnet, disappointment still locked on his face. "It's just a scouting mission, isn't it?" He asked. The half-gem couldn't understand why going on a scouting mission was so dangerous.

The tall, red gem looked at Steven. She had a square-shaped afro. On her shoulders were tear drop shaped shoulder pads. She had a star on her top and her pants were blue on one side, red on the other. Her gems were embedded into the palms of her hands. "Yes," she started. "But Pearl once knocked out all the power in Beach City. Imagine what Peridot could make with _her_ knowledge." She spoke in her usual monotonous voice.

Amethyst looked at Steven then shrugged a bit. "Sorry, dude." She walked back over to the Warp Pad and waited. Despite her wants, Garnet insisted they wait for Pearl. It didn't take long before the tall, thin gem came out of the Temple Door. It appeared she had gotten over yesterday and was ready to go scouting. She walked over to the Warp Pad and stood with the other two gems.

"What took you so long?!" Amethyst shouted at the thin gem, annoyed.

Pearl's expression became a look of annoyance. She couldn't _stand_ how Amethyst always tried to pick a fight with her. She just looked away and ignored the stout gem. Then, within a flash of light, all three gems were gone. Steven was left sitting on the chair with an empty bowl. '_Hm…_'

The boy hopped off the chair and walked back over to his room, changing out of his pajamas. He wanted to do something fun for himself while the gems were gone, he just didn't know _what_. After he got dressed, he looked around, seeing if anything would spark an idea. Steven then noticed Lion lying down by the couch. "That's it!" He jumped down and landed on the couch, laughing.

The large, pink lion flicked its ear before lifting its head and looking at the boy. It gave off a small, tired growl before lying back down. Steven looked at Lion. He hopped off the couch and shook Lion a little bit. "You have to get up, Lion! You're coming too!" He said in his struggle to get the big hunk of fur off the floor.

It took a few more attempts, but the resistant feline finally decided to get up. Lion stretched a little bit before looking at Steven. The boy led them over to the Warp Pad, explaining where they were going. "I figured since Pearl and the others are gone, we could go exploring together! I want to look for more things from my Mom's army, and I'm not going alone."

Steven didn't usually warp on his own, but yesterday had gotten him so excited. When he saw the opportunity, he took it. Lion was now on the Warp Pad with him. Once they were both ready, he outstretched his arms to his sides and concentrated. He managed to get the usual white burst of light to appear. Within seconds, both of them were gone within the now dissipating light.

###

She was resting by a large sand dune, regaining her energy from traveling so far. She lied there calmly as she watched small grains of sand whisk by. She had been trudging across this desert for months in hopes of finding any sort of Warp Pad. She hadn't found one yet, but she had confidence. She was a gem of hardship. She was someone who would never give up, no matter how hard things got.

She was quite big, one of the biggest non-fusion gems. While she was big and strong, she was also hot-headed. The large gem huffed a bit before propping herself up onto her feet. Wiping the sand off herself, she continued along the desert.

She wasn't that affected by the intense heat of the desert, but she was still quite hot. Wiping her forehead, she slogged along, dragging her feet in the hot sand. The gem's hopes lifted when she noticed a large Warp Pad in the distance. She could finally find her. She could finally find the one who abandoned their entire army. She could finally find _Rose Quartz_.

Determined, the bulky gem began to sprint towards the platform. It was almost as if the heat of the desert disappeared. The gem smiled. She was _so close_ to her destination. She was only ten feet away from the Warp Pad when a light burst from it. She gasped, stepping back a bit. She became a bit fearful and defensive, prepared to fight if anything attacked her. Getting into a fighting stance, she put her fist up to the gem that was on her chest. A glow emitted from the gem. Within seconds, a glowing white silhouette of a weapon appeared, handle in her grip. She pulled out the glowing weapon. Finally, the weapon had materialized, revealing an orange mallet.

She held her weapon in anticipation. She waited to see who would be revealed within the light. Soon enough, the glowing beam finally faded, revealing a boy sitting on top of a pink lion. Both of them were surprised to see a large gem standing a few feet away holding a huge mallet. The gem was still a bit tense, but relaxed their stance a little bit. She was curious, wondering how a human could have possibly used a Warp Pad.

Lion could feel tensions growing, but didn't become defensive. It wanted to see how things would turn out, so it just stood there and waited. The large gem was slowly approaching them. They didn't show any hostility at that moment.

Steven looked at them with curiosity as well. Being the friendly and fun-loving half-gem he is, he hopped off the furry beast. When Steven landed on the ground the gem seemed bigger than before. He felt intimidated as the gem towered over him. The boy made sure to stay close to Lion while she approached them. They finally stood a foot away from them. She leaned down to take a closer look at Steven. He _looked_ like a human, but he managed to use a Warp Pad without a Warp Whistle!

She gripped her weapon tightly but held it away so she wouldn't show hostility. She just wanted to get a close enough look at him. Silence filled the air as the two just stared at each other, both curious. There was the occasional blink and the bored yawns of a pink lion. The larger gem finally broke the silence. "_What… Are… You..?_"

Steven smiled a bit. "My name's Steven and I'm a Crystal Gem!" He spoke without hesitation, oblivious to what he had just done. The larger just tilted her head, confused. She'd never heard of a gem named Steven, and this gem doesn't even _look_ like one!

"If you truly _are_ a Crystal Gem, show me yer gem..." She had an accent quite like a cliché western girl, speaking with a stern attitude. She wasn't playing around. Steven could tell how serious she was, but tried not to let it bother him. He figured he should just show her his gem and get along to what he came here to do: explore.

The boy lifted his shirt, revealing a rose quartz gemstone in place of his navel. Seeing this shiny pink gemstone caused the larger gem to back up a bit, surprised. She gripped her weapon tightly, feeling a sudden rush of anger. "_ROSE QUARTZ!_" She shouted, her voice filled with fury. Steven back up a bit, holding onto Lion's mane.

The pink feline backed up with the boy, getting into a defensive stance. Lion gave a glare at the angry beast. The orange gem shot a glare back at them, taking a large step closer to them. The lion gave off a growl, seeing them as a threat. They were prepared to attack at any moment.

"_YOU ABANDONED US, ROSE QUARTZ! WE ALL THOUGHT YOU WERE A NOBLE LEADER! NOW YOU RUN AWAY AND HIDE IN THE FORM OF A WEAK AND PATHETIC HUMAN! SHOW ME YER TRUE SELF LIKE THE LEADER YOU ARE!_" Her words were filled with mixed emotions. Steven just looked at them in fear and confusion, not knowing what to do. He would've warped away with Lion, but he was too distracted.

After a few moments of silence, the angered gem slammed their mallet onto the sand. The impact caused the ground to shake and some sand to dust up. "_DON'T IGNORE ME, ROSE QUARTZ! SHOW YER TRUE FACE! FIGHT ME WITH DIGNITY AND PRIDE!_" A few more moments and _still_ no Rose Quartz. She was filled with blistering fury.

"If _that's_ how you wan'a play it…" She picked up her mallet and swung it at the two on the Warp Pad. Lion quickly grabbed Steven with his mouth and dodged out of the way just in time. The mallet hit and broke the Warp Pad. The gem didn't pay much thought to it, though. She snarled, chasing after them. Lion began running, still holding onto Steven by the back of his shirt. Lion stopped in their tracks and set Steven out of the way, turning and facing the gem. The feline opened its mouth and let out a loud roar, sending a beam straight her way. She hit the beam with her mallet, causing it to fly back towards Lion. It quickly jumped out of the way.

Dust flew up as the beam hit the sand causing Steven to instinctively cover his eyes. The pink feline sent another beam blasting towards the gem. Once again, they reflected it with their mallet. This time it hit a rock, causing it to explode. It sent sharp debris flying in every direction. Lion let out a roar as some of the shards stabbed him in his flank.

The orange gem taunted Lion a bit before jumping into the air and landing right in front of them. The ground shook upon impact. Sand dusted up and got into the lion's eyes, blinding it temporarily. She gave off a chuckle as she picked up the feline and flung it into the air. She then jumped up and, with great force, spiked Lion back down to the ground with her mallet.

Steven couldn't do anything more than look on in horror as his best friend hit the ground. The pink cat wouldn't get up, it was too injured. "_Lion!_" Steven shouted. He got up and ran towards Lion, aware of the on-coming dangers of their attacker. He put his hands on the limp lion and shook them a bit. They wouldn't get up. Tears started to form in Steven's eyes, he was afraid they were dead. The boy felt a bit relieved to see Lion still breathing.

The gem landed back on the ground, holding _two_ mallets. Steven caught her attention right away. "Now that yer pesky lil' friend is out'a the way, it's time to deal with _you_, Rose Quartz!" The frightened half-gem looked at the larger gem in fear. They slowly approached. Steven knew he didn't have anywhere to run, so he didn't make any attempts to. All he had to do was hope for the best.

She now stood right in front of the frightened child. She dismissed one of her mallets. They reached down and grabbed Steven, lifting him up to get a good look at him. He struggled a bit, wanting to get out of her grip. Even if it would be a rocky fall, it was worth it to get away from her. The gem just rolled her eyes at his futile attempts of escape. "It's upsetting to see such a noble gem become _so weak_…"

"_Now_, I'm givin' you _one last chance_ to show yer _true_ self." She threatened, tightening her grip on Steven a little bit. He just kept struggling, trying to squeeze out of her hand. His attempts were useless. A minute of silence passed by. The gem waited to see Rose appear in place of Steven, but it never happened.

"_Fine…_" She then held him by the collar of his shirt, letting him dangle like a fish on a hook. She gripped the mallet she still had and swung it at him, sending him hurdling towards a rock. Upon impact he made a small cry of pain at his now broken leg. Steven was now on the sand backed up by a large rock. He was holding his leg, a grimace plastered onto his face. There was nowhere he could escape to. He just had to hope for the best like he did before.

To his surprise, she didn't approach him. Her stance relaxed a bit as she dismissed her mallet, leaving her to just _stare_ at Steven. Many thoughts raced her mind as she stared at him, a small sinking feeling in her chest. She noticed how Steven was just curled up in the sand, holding his leg and trembling. _This wasn't Rose…_ She took in a deep breath, slowly approaching Steven while staying calm. She didn't want to scare him.

The gem kneeled down, looking at the pain-filled child. "You're not Rose…" She mumbled. Then, speaking up, she questioned, "What are you..?"

The quivering boy slowly looked up at her, trying to hide his fear. He was confused. First she was hostile but then she's calm and seemingly remorseful. "_H-huh_…?"

She repeated herself. "What are you?"

"A cr-crystal g-ge—"

She interrupted him. "No. _What_ are you? What type of creature are you?"

Before he answered, Steven took in a deep breath to relax a bit so he could concentrate. He spit on his hand and, hoping it would work, wiped the spit all over his broken leg. It luckily worked, his leg healing within a minute. He then looked up at the towering gem. "I'm half-human…" He answered, still a bit weary.

She raised an eyebrow in response. She's never heard of a gem being half-human. She found it weird and continued to question him, asking him how he was made. He explained to her that his mom had given up her physical form to bring him into the world.

"Now, I get to ask _you_ a question!" Steven said, a short smile appearing on his face. "What's _your _name?" The large gem blinked a bit, then stood up. Without showing hostility, she summoned her weapon and held it over her shoulder. She puffed her chest out, and with pride, she answered his question.

"I am Cornelian, ex-commanding officer of Rose Quartz' army."


	3. Chapter 3

Lion was sitting up; cleansing its fur of Steven's spit. While it was busy grooming its fur, Steven was sitting down by Cornelian. He was gushing over how she was one of the commanding officers for Rose's army. Steven told her how she was mentioned to him. He didn't mention anything about Pearl or any of the Crystal Gems, though. He didn't want to risk it. He instead went on a tangent of asking her question after question. He wanted to know what it was like to lead a group that helped the army.

Cornelian could answer every question. The big gem seemed to be enjoying Steven's company even though she just met him. Cornelian returned the favor by asking Steven what _his_ life was like. Steven's stories about his friends caught her interest. Though she found it weird he didn't mention any gems, she paid it no mind.

Cornelian also told _her_ share of stories. She told him how she knew Rose Quartz well and how Rose was sweet. She told him how she looked up to Rose as a leader and how she taught her to be a great leader herself.

"From what I knew, yer mother was _great_, Steven." Cornelian said. "I may not have been as close to her as those Crystal Gems were, but..." A frown started to appear on her face. "I should'a known she wouldn't do this to us…" The big gem sighed and rested her head on her hands.

Steven put his hand on her, trying to comfort Cornelian the best he could. He could see how bad she felt and wanted to make her better. He tried to give her a reassuring smile. The larger gem took notice and gave a small chuckle in return. She found him cute, having a _heart of gold_ just like his mom. It wasn't long before silence filled the air. Lion was lying on the sand while Cornelian and Steven observed their surroundings.

The large gem finally broke the silence by standing up and stretching a bit. "We should probably get you back t' where you came from." The young boy stood up and stretched too, as if mimicking her.

They both walked over to the Warp Pad, only to find it was still broken. "_Oops_," was all she could mutter.

Steven looked at the cracked Warp Pad, wishing Peridot's Flask Robonoids were here. He then started to think. _What if he could heal more than just flesh and blood_? Steven licked his hand, making sure to get as much spit on it as possible. It was quite difficult due to his mouth becoming dry from the desert's heat. He started to wipe the spit all over the broken Warp Pad. Cornelian watched in disgust and awe as the cracks started to shrink.

"I'm going to need _a lot_ of healing spit." Steven said. He continued to lick his hand and rub the cracks. Each time he did so, the cracks would grow smaller by just a hair. It surprised Steven a bit that it was working. It also made Steven happy, knowing the events here made his powers work again. He just hoped it would last longer than last time.

It took almost thirty minutes before the Warp Pad was finally repaired. It still had some minor scratches left, but Steven fixed it enough for it to work again. Steven went and got Lion, bringing him over to the Warp Pad. The two stood upon the platform. The boy was about to warp them back home when a thought ran across his mind. He looked up at Cornelian and asked, "Are you coming along?"

The tall gem shrugged a bit, stepping onto the large Warp Pad. "Might as well. I don't intend on livin' in Australia." Steven smiled, even chuckling a bit.

He spread his arms out to the side and closed his eyes, concentrating hard. This was a larger Warp Pad than usual, so it took a bit more power for him to work it. He managed to activate it. A white light appeared, engulfing all three of them.

###

Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl were floating mid-warp. Garnet had halted their warping process to give Pearl time to think. The tall, slender gem was trying to recall where Peridot escaped to. She remembered how she had landed in what appeared to be a forest-like area.

"I think she landed in some type of forest!" Pearl said. She started to describe which forest Peridot might've landed in. Garnet resumed their warp and sent them to a forest like Pearl described.

Amethyst was impatient, recalling it took Pearl an _hour_ to remember. When she had tried to ask Garnet to use Future Vision to see where Peridot was, she refused. She said she wanted Pearl to do it on her own but never explained why. Amethyst thought she was just trying to mess with her. She was relieved when they finally reached solid ground.

Garnet decided to take the lead once again, motioning for the other two to follow her. Soon they were walking through the forest, being as silent as possible. Their goal was to find Peridot, get some answers, then bubble her. The forest was quite silent. The only noises were the occasional rustling of tree branches and tweets of birds.

Garnet spoke quietly, trying not to attract any unwanted attention. "_We need to split up and look for her. The more area we cover on our own, the more likely we'll find her._" Amethyst and Pearl nodded simultaneously. The tall gem summoned three wrist bands. "_These are communicator watches. You should know what to do with them._" Garnet handed the other two the communicators, putting her own on her wrist. No one got a chance to say anything before Garnet walked off into the forest.

Amethyst put her communicator on, running into the forest as well, leaving Pearl there. _Alone_. She felt a bit anxious for some reason. Her heart was starting to race as her face became moist. Something about this place… _This forest_… It made her worrisome. The tall gem shook her head, trying not to worry about it. She was here to find Peridot; nothing more. Pearl snapped the communicator onto her wrist and then began to walk. She was alone to fend for herself against whatever may attack her. What if Peridot had built an armed Robonoid? What if she got attacked by a strong gem creature?

Pearl's mind wandered as she began to walk forward, avoiding anything in her path. She gave off a subtle smile. She wanted to think they left her alone because they believed in her... Because they knew she could beat anything that came her way. Pearl wanted to believe it. She wanted to think positive thoughts, _especially __now_. Pearl endured emotional trauma from recent events, including yesterday. She wanted to keep her mind off her fragileness. She wanted to forget how weak she was without _Rose_.

Her mind drifted a bit as she started to recall events that occurred years ago. So many years ago that human technology was far more primitive than it was now. She remembered how the war against Home World was full of destruction and death.

It was all so grim to her. So many gems; _lost_. Even if she didn't care much for humans, she still felt a hint of guilt. Somehow humans had gotten killed in the midst of the war. The battlefield was huge. The war spread for _miles_. It wouldn't surprise her if some of the mortars had overshot and hit humans. Her thoughts started to stray from the grim memories. She started to think of the one thing that made her happy: Rose Quartz.

She remembered how Rose would train certain gems. Some of them would become her second-hand. The others would lead the three divisions outside the Crystal Gems.

Pearl gave off a short chuckle. She recalled how, when no one was training, Rose would try to bring light to the war. She would make some jokes and try to lift spirits. Pearl remembered how she would make Pearl the butt of her jokes. She found it amusing. The slim gem never really got the purpose of jokes. She just thought they were blatant lies to amuse others, but she didn't care. If Pearl called jokes '_lies_', then Rose's lies were her favorite.

The sense of charm Rose would put into her jokes made Pearl smile. It wasn't just her jokes that lifted Pearl's spirits, though. It was also Rose's determination; how she was willing to do _anything_ to help her cause. Rose loved everyone, both humans and the gems that helped her. It made Pearl's heart warm up... Just thinking of her; remembering the _good times_.

###

_It was dawn. All the gems were resting inside their bunkers except for three. General Rose stood outside and watched her pupils train. They were Colonel Garnet and Brigadier General Pearl. These three gems ran a group that managed the entire army. The group was well known as 'The Crystal Gems'._

_Rose looked pleased as she watched them work hard. Their goal was to become stronger before the enemy. A smile grew on Rose's face as she watched their commitment. _

_Bursts of reds and yellows engulfed the Training Grounds, making the perfect scene. The beautiful view of two gems training within the glory of dawn._

_Garnet practiced her coordination, persistently punching down wooden dummies that would appear at random. Pearl tested her accuracy, stabbing at random dummies and launching her spear at targets. She would often get a bull's eye._

_They eventually finished their early morning training session, dismissing their weapons. They hadn't realized Rose was there watching. They both jumped when they heard Rose Quartz clapping her hands. "Wonderful!" She cheered._

_Garnet grew a small smile while Pearl face became flushed. They both bowed, proud of their performance in front of their mentor. Neither of them said 'Thank you'. They had their own way of thanking Rose for her gratitude. _

_The sun was now starting to climb the sky, blue washing away the red. The two gems walked up the steps and went to stand by Rose. They always watched the sunrise together._

_Rose knew gems didn't need liquids or foods, and so did everyone else. Despite this knowledge, she knew how they would enjoy indulging in man-made drinks. They didn't start doing this from the beginning, though. Throughout the many years they trained together preparing for war, man had evolved rapidly. It was only a few years ago when they made non-water liquids._

_They were starting to make a place for everyone to hang out in when they weren't training. It was to be a place like a human saloon. The third division of the army sent gems out to go and retrieve liquids from humans. The gems would return a few weeks later with rum and beer. They would always bring the drinks in large quantities to last for years._

_It didn't take long for them to finish the saloon. Every gem sat around the tables and conversed with each other. Others went to the bartender to order drinks. Every night they would do this, giving everyone a chance to rest from training. Even with the relaxation of the saloon, no one had as much fun as they did without Rose Quartz._

_Every night Rose stepped onto a small stage in the center of the room and began to make jokes. Pearl always leaned by the door, holding her hands together with her fingers interlocked. She listened intently as Rose entertained the entire saloon. Rose's jokes usually consisted of wordplay and her teasing her comrades, especially Pearl._

_This was the time of night the slim gem would always wait for. It was always so relaxing to listen to Rose's soft yet enthusiastic voice. It always let Pearl wind down a bit before and after training._

_Rose looked at the crowd, having told a few jokes so far. It was the prime of the night and it was time to get things rolling. She gave off a wide smile before glancing over at Pearl. "Some might say Brigadier General Pearl looks like a bird," she started." Who _wouldn't_ think that with _that _nose?" The crowd gave off laughs and cheers, just as they always did. It was fortunate they knew they were just jokes. Otherwise they would tease Pearl to no end._

_Pearl covered her mouth a bit to hide her smile. She had to admit, she _did_ look like a bird sometimes. She gave off a short chuckle, finding it impossible to hide it. The slim gem then continued to stand there. Pearl watched as Rose told more jokes, keeping the entire saloon laughing all night._

_At some point Garnet walked up to Pearl and stood by her, giving her some company. The slim gem noticed and glanced at her. "Hello Garnet…" She said, looking back towards the stage. She kept her voice low._

_"I noticed you standing here alone every night. You've been doing this ever since we started the saloon." The taller gem seemed a bit concerned. "Is something wrong?" She spoke quietly so no one would eavesdrop._

_Pearl nodded, her face warming up a bit. "Yeah… I'm fine. I'm just watching from afar." Garnet nodded in response, turning to watch Rose as well._

_They both just sat there, watching Rose as she continued with her nightly entertainment. She finished an hour or two later, going to sit back down and talk with some of her comrades. Garnet and Pearl finally walked outside, ready to start training._

###

Pearl was basking in her memories when a sudden rustle in the bushes caught her attention. Her thoughts were interrupted. She looked around, panicked. She summoned her spear in defense. She was sweating profoundly. She was becoming stressed. Darks thoughts were flooding Pearls head. They told her she should run. They told her she shouldn't be here. But she didn't listen to them. Pearl stayed there, despite her better judgment. She wanted to be brave.

"_Come out!_" The gem demanded, spear in hand.

The only response that came to her was the rustling of the bushes. Knowing this wasn't Peridot, Pearl went into a defensive stance. Her eyes followed the bushes as the predator rummaged through them.

This went on for a few moments before the noises stopped. Relief flushed over Pearl. She thought the predator had left when out of the blue; a sudden orange blur hit her. The collision caused her to fall over and drop her spear, dazing her for a few seconds.

Pearl shook her head to regain some of her composure. After blinking a bit and regaining focus, her eyes widened. She looked at what was sitting on her chest, holding her down. Pearl gasped, immediately recognizing who it was.

"_Dragon's Eye!_"


	4. Chapter 4

Steven had just convinced Peedee Fryman to get two orders of fry bits. One for him and one for Cornelian. Fry bits were Steven's usual whenever he went to Beach Citywalk Fries. Even so, Peedee had to elaborate many times in the past fry bits weren't on the menu. Despite his words, Steven would continue to order them anyway. The Fryman boy gave up at some point. He didn't bother trying to convince him anymore and complied with his usual orders. It made things go a lot quicker.

Peedee handed them the food in exchange for payment. After taking the bits, the two customers were about to walk away when the boy stopped them. He asked, "Who's this big guy?"

Steven turned around, looking at Peedee, before answering like he did to Sadie. He made his best attempt to give Cornelian as big an entrance as he did before. It seemed to work as the boy behind the counter nodded his head with a slight smile. Peedee didn't understand gem stuff, much like Sadie, but he didn't question it either.

After staring at Peedee, Cornelian looked at Steven who held bags of bits in his hands. He smiled and handed her a bag which she reluctantly took. She wasn't sure if _all_ human foods tasted splendid or if it was just the donuts.

Cornelian reached her hand into the bag, taking hold of a small fry bit. She looked at Steven who gave an eager nod in return. Turning her attention back to the bit in her grasp, she opened her mouth and dropped it in. Though it was quite small, it gave off a similar sensation like before. A satisfied smile crept onto her face.

She looked at the bag before dumping the rest of the bits into her mouth, throwing it away. This surprised Steven a little bit for not even _Amethyst_ could eat fry bits that fast! Steven started to smile again. He waved goodbye to Peedee before leading Cornelian to their next destination. He ate some of his fry bits as they walked.

He was planning on leading her over to his dad's workplace: _It's a Wash_! Cornelian didn't pay any mind to their next destination until she noticed something. She put her hand in front of Steven, pushing him back with her as she strode backwards. A now confused Steven looked up at the large gem and asked, "What's wrong?"

Cornelian looked at Steven, panic in her eyes. Her only response to his question was her pointing at a van parked by the car wash. Standing by the van were three people talking. They were Greg—Steven's dad—talking to Amethyst and Pearl. While Steven didn't understand why the large gem was so worried, he complied. They ended up running off to the Funland Arcade.

As the two started to run off, Pearl and Amethyst were just about to leave. Greg offered to help their search but the slim gem insisted he stay and work. The balding man went with it, giving off a sigh, unaware of her not wanting him to hang with them.

As Pearl turned to leave, she caught a glimpse of Steven and a large, orange stranger. With a gasp, the gem told Amethyst to follow her, running in Steven's direction. The shorter gem didn't say anything in return. Pearl just dragged her everywhere against her will, anyway. She figured she'd just let Pearl do what she wanted until this was over. At least she wasn't having to endure the long lectures the taller gem gave her. Being in this position was even relaxing for Amethyst. While Pearl dragged her everywhere, the stout gem managed to get a few minutes of rest.

The two gems ended up finding themselves at the Funland Arcade entrance. This was where Garnet got mesmerized by the—now destroyed—Meat Beat Mania game. The arcade was unusually busy today. Tourists from all over had come to play games and exchange tickets. All these tourists made the gems' search for Steven harder.

Looking around, Pearl couldn't see Steven anywhere. Even with how crowded the place was, she figured she'd _at least_ see part of his hair. _If only Garnet had come along and used her Future Vision_... Both her and Amethyst stepped inside the arcade, walking around. As they paced through the arcade, Pearl watched the tourists play odd arcade games. She still found it odd how humans could find such ways to waste time. She shrugged at the thought, focusing on the task at hand.

Cornelian knew Pearl was searching there, so she hid, Steven in her grasp. She made sure the boy kept his mouth shut. The half-gem looked at her, confused. "What are we hiding from?" He asked. Cornelian could understand him, despite his muffled voice from her hand covering his mouth.

The orange gem didn't want to explain every little detail, so she just cut to the chase. "_It's Pearl and Amethyst. Let's just say, if they find us, we're dead._" She whispered so she wouldn't attract unwanted attention despite no one else in the room.

They were hiding in a large cabinet inside the Employee's Only room. The particular cabinet was empty and never used, so it was ideal. They had snuck in when the only employee, Mr. Smiley, wasn't paying attention. Cornelian could only hope Pearl and Amethyst wouldn't come in to investigate.

It seemed like her nightmares became a reality when she heard the door creak open. She had a bad feeling it was Amethyst and Pearl. Cornelian winced as she heard Pearl's voice fill the air. "_Steven_? Are you there?"

Steven felt bad, knowing he was hiding from his loved ones. He made a few attempts to break out of the cabinet and reveal himself. His attempts were futile as the large gem held him close in a tight grip.

She held Steven closer and closer as cabinets creaked open and slammed shut. Pearl thought Steven was alone, figuring something so _huge _couldn't fit in the cabinets. She was right. Cornelian had a hard time hiding due to her size. She also had to make sure Steven could fit without squishing him. Due to this, though they were completely hidden, the space was quite cramped.

A sudden hush filled the room. The tension grew with the silence. Cornelian was becoming anxious. She feared Pearl would open the 0nly cabinet left and find them crammed inside.

Steven couldn't do much of anything to help either of them. If he tried to climb out of the cabinet, he would get squished the large gem keeping him there.

Pearl finally started to walk their direction. Footsteps grew louder and louder as the other two grew tense. The orange gem finally frowned a bit, a sudden anger rushing into her. She didn't know why she so furious, but she couldn't help but want to punch something.

Just as Pearl reached down to open the cabinet, Cornelian summoned her mallet. It took a bit of shuffling to get her hand up to her chest, but she managed. After summoning her weapon, she burst out of the cabinet, breaking it. A surprised Pearl and Amethyst now looked upon a towering carnelian grasping a mallet.

Pushing some wooden chunks away, Steven crawled from underneath the cabinet's rubble. This scene was exactly what he feared.

Seeing this particular gem made Pearl shocked. While she had seen many carnelians before, this one was unique. This was her first encounter with another gem from Rose Quartz' army. Before she got a chance to think, she was flung into a wall by an orange mallet. The weapon's collision caused her to drop Amethyst. The impact Pearl made with the wall caused large cracks, weakening the foundation.

The smaller got off the ground and put her fist against her gem like Cornelian. Amethyst's gem began to glow. As she moved her hand away, an Energy Whip followed in her grasp. Yanking her weapon out, she swung it at the large gem in an attempt to make them drop their weapon. The whip wrapped itself around the mallet's handle. Cornelian saw this as an opportunity rather than a nuisance. Swinging her mallet, the large gem flung Amethyst the same direction as Pearl.

All Steven could do was watch on in horror as his friends were attacking each other. Pearl and Amethyst quickly recovered, summoning their weapons. The two gems immediately attacked Cornelian. Pearl thrust her spear towards the larger gem. It didn't do much damage but it _did_ end up causing them to stumble backwards a little bit. She regained her balance without haste. She slammed her mallet against the floor, causing the room to tremble.

While managing the customers, Mr. Smiley took notice of the employee door rumbling. Finding this peculiar, he stepped from behind the desk and went over to investigate. He grasped the doorknob and, upon opening it, he saw the three gems fight each other. He also saw Steven sitting on the sidelines, wondering what to do. The gems didn't seem to notice him which made him relieved. Despite the sensation of relief flushing over him, he was also worried. He feared these three aliens would destroy the entire edifice.

The room shook once more, causing pieces of the ceiling to crumble and fall. Mr. Smiley fled, going back to work with more customers. He didn't want to get involved in this madness.

Pearl had lost her balance, falling over on a growing crack. Amethyst was able to avoid the advancing fissure. She summoned a second Energy Whip and swung both weapons at Cornelian. She managed to coil a whip around one of their wrists. They grabbed the other whip with their free hand. The orange foe yanked on the whip in hand, causing Amethyst to fly forward. Cornelian broke her other hand free before grabbing Amethyst and spiking her down. The impact of the purple gem against the floor caused another fissure to develop.

Steven had enough. He didn't want to see them fight each other anymore. He got up and ran in the middle of the battle in an attempt to intervene. By doing this, he nearly got hit by one of Pearl's spear beams. Neither Amethyst or Pearl noticed Steven, both too distracted by their foe.

Pearl shot rounds of beams from the end of her glaive. Some of them hit the large gem, but it didn't seem to affect them much. Cornelian became dazed for a moment, though. The slim gem used this as a chance to run in and weaken her, Amethyst on board. They both dashed towards the large gem, sending a fury of attacks her way.

Steven made another attempt to intervene their battle. Once again, he failed, the two angered Crystal Gems being oblivious to his presence. He nearly got stabbed by Pearl's spear and wrapped up in Amethyst's sharp whip. Even worse, Cornelian recovered and swung her mallet at them, _also_ unaware of Steven. He managed to duck out of the way along with the other two.

The large gem made another swing at them, hitting the floor once again. Many cracks appeared where the mallet collided with the floor. The various cracks steadily crept across the floor and up the walls. The room shook once more before a few more pieces of the roof fell. If Cornelian hit the foundation again, the whole room would crack like an egg. Ignorant to the damage she caused, Cornelian continued to swing at the gems.

Pearl stabbed at the mallet with her weapon, cracking it. The weapon's damage caused it to disappear in a shimmer. The larger gem grew frustrated at their defenses. In response to Pearl's attack, she summoned dual mallets. She clashed them together above her head. As they collided, a vibrating sound wave emitted from them. Steven covered his ears while Pearl and Amethyst shielded themselves with rubble.

Cornelian grew heated at her attack not hitting the two Crystal Gems. Within a rush of anger, she slammed her mallets onto the ground. Steven flinched at the loud noise that came from the weapons hitting the ground. This attack of anger caused the room to shake, more and more cracks appearing. The more the room shook, the more chunks of roof would fall.

The battle was soon ended by the entire employee room collapsing. Dust and dirt flew up into the air as debris piled up on the ground. There were now large piles of rubble lying on the grass where the employee room used to be. The wall in the arcade on that side was _also_ gone. It was now a large hole where people could spectate the ongoing scene.

Pearl, Amethyst, and Cornelian shoved piles of debris of themselves. getting up and recovering from the collapsed room. They were okay despite them covered in bruises and dirt. The three were about to engage in combat once more when they remembered something. _Steven was with them in that room!_

Panicked, the smaller gems went over to a large pile of rubble and started to dig. Cornelian stayed put, watching them dig like maniacs. After minutes of digging, they finally managed to find a pink bubble. Inside the bubble was Steven, curled up into a little ball. He had forgotten that he could summon a bubble shield instinctively. Steven uncurled himself when he saw the two gems looking at him with concern.

Relief rushed through the two as he looked at them. _He was okay!_ Without saying anything, Steven dismissed his bubble and stood up. He walked past the two gems and stood in front of Cornelian. The half-gem wanted to get answers and he wanted to get them _now_. He turned to look at Pearl and Amethyst and asked, "_Why_ are you guys fighting each other!? Aren't you guys on the same team!?"

Pearl calmly approached Steven and kneeled down, putting a hand on his shoulder. She was hoping she wouldn't have to go through the effort of having to explain this to him. She feared Steven would try to get involved and end up hurting himself. She wanted to make sure he stayed out of these affairs. Despite her efforts, Steven ended up walking right into the situation anyway.

Clearing her throat, she began to explain. "_You see_, Steven," she began. "Many gems died, unable to ever regenerate, during the war against Home World. Rose started to worry about the safety of the rest of her army. She cared too much about them. She didn't want any more innocent gems to die. So, she had a plan. As the war reached its climax, Rose forced the rest of the army into theirs gems. She sent them off to various places across Earth. She left Garnet and I to fight alongside her. Though we won the war, many gems never got to live to see our triumph. This made Rose upset, but she was happy too. She knew Earth was safe and she knew the survivors could find their ways back home..." She paused for a moment, glancing up at Cornelian before looking back at Steven. "Though it appears to me these gems thought we betrayed them."

Pearl stood up and backed away a bit, her attention going from Steven to Cornelian. She shot a glare at her. The orange gem stayed calm in return, not wanting to build any more tension. She didn't originally intend to attack the two, yet something inside her grew. Despite her intentions, she had grown _so angry_ she _had_ to get revenge. She was unable to forget the events that took place that day. Even knowing the truth, something in her head always told her they _did_ betray her.

That's when a thought popped into her head. Pearl's story had reminded her of something. A look of urgency soon formed on Cornelian's face as she looked at the three smaller gems. She warned them. "The other gems thatsurvive the war, they don't know what _I_ know! They're coming after Rose Quartz; _you_, Steven!" Hearing the news caused Pearl and Amethyst to mirror Cornelian's worry. _She was right! They didn't know Rose gave her life to give birth to Steven. They would think Steven was Rose!_ "They still think Rose betrayed 'em!" Cornelian added.

"So, _what_ exactly do we do then?" Amethyst asked with urgency.

Before the orange gem was able to respond, Pearl answered her question. "We need to split up. Some of us need to stay here and prepare for any on-coming attacks. The rest of us will need to go out and search for the other gems." Everyone nodded in agreement but Steven. He seemed a bit alarmed, but also interested.

"Does this mean we get to go on another adventure?" He asked, causing everyone to look at him.

"If by '_we_' you mean Garnet, Cornelian, and I, then _yes_." She turned to face his direction. "But if by '_we_' you mean everyone, then _no_." She then continued by explaining how dangerous it would be for Steven to go with them. These gems wanted to _kill_ him and he _barely_ had control over his gem powers. She didn't want to risk it.

"_You're_ going to stay here with Amethyst and make sure the Temple is secure." Pearl said. She then turned to the mentioned gem. "You, Amethyst, will help put defenses around the beach." Amethyst gave a nod in return. Pearl finally looked over to Cornelian. "_You_ will come with Garnet and I to look for the other gems. We don't want you alone with Steven and Amethyst causing any trouble." The large gem understood Pearl's concern. She nodded, willing to go with them.

The four then walked off, unaware of the many people staring on in horror.

###

Lion slept near the kitchen while Steven sat by Amethyst on the couch. Cornelian waited for Garnet and Pearl on the Warp Pad. The two Crystal Gems were discussing their plan. They tried whispering so no one would hear, but Cornelian overheard them anyway.

Pearl mentioned bubbling Cornelian at the end of their hunt. She also mentioned bubbling any other gems they came across. Garnet didn't like the idea of bubbling everyone they encountered but she didn't protest.

After a few more moments of discussion, the two gems finally walked over to the Warp Pad. Before warping away, Pearl spoke aloud to the other two. "Our next stop is the forest. We'll be looking for Dragon's Eye." With that, the three warped away back to the forest.

Amethyst and Steven proceeded to stand up. They went to work, doing what they could to reinforce the beach and Temple.


	5. Chapter 5

They were back where they started, the forest Warp Pad, accompanied by Cornelian. It didn't take much effort to find Dragon's Eye the first time. They figured it would be just as easy the second time. Garnet didn't intend to have the three split up to search, though. Instead, she had them all walk together while she led them.

They were now walking through the forest, being as quiet as possible. If they were going to find someone as dangerous as Dragon's Eye, they had to be stealthy. Pearl seemed a bit anxious, even when she was around other gems. Something about this forest seemed so familiar, yet so _off_. It was almost as if she had been here before. This uneasy feeling made Pearl hope this search wouldn't take long.

###

_A group of gems sat at a lone table near the center of the saloon, right by the stage. It was a reserved spot for these particular gems, whom others called "special". Rose Quartz had chosen these gems to train them herself, day after day. They all had a remarkable aptitude for learning their preferred professions. Some of them learned skills in hunting while others learned of medication. The rest either learned how to lead or how to follow into battle. To them, everyone else was inept. No matter how hard anyone else trained, they wouldn't be as skilled as them._

_There weren't many of these special gems. But if you looked closely, there were more than meets the eye. The gems in the group were Rubelite, Tiger's Eye, and Opalite. There was also Cornelian and Carnelian_–_Carnie for short_–_and Dragon's Eye. Finally, there was the largest gem of the group, just shorter than Rose Quartz: _Quartz_. It was quite obvious she was a fusion, due to her two sets of arms, but no one's seen her unfuse before._

_The group of gems sat there, some with a mug of beer in hand. Rose wasn't there to entertain yet, so everyone just conversed. The table was quiet for a little bit while everyone around them chattered away. Rubelite broke the silence by speaking, with a subtle slur in her voice. "When d'ya guys think Rose'll choose who the officers'll be?" She drew the attention of everyone at the table._

_Carnie shrugged a bit. "Who knows? Maybe she'll wait until the Diamond Authority's already here!" The short orange gem snorted a bit. "She was slow enough teaching us how to fire guns." She looked around the table at her peers. Most of them didn't seem to agree with Carnie._

_Opalite responded to the gem's remark. "It's not _her_ teaching us too slowly. It's just _us_ not training fast enough." Unintelligible chattering spread across the table. Everyone else seemed to agree with the soft-spoken gem. This seemed to make Carnie grow a bit heated. While she was only joking with her remark, she grew jealous. She wanted the others to look at what she had to say instead of just skimming over everything. The gem wanted the support Opalite always got. Carnie didn't want to start a fight, so she just rolled her eyes and went silent._

_Tiger's Eye sat there silently, arms crossed as she watched more conversations unfold. She didn't enjoy jumping into conversations, whether she started them or not. All she wanted to do was wait for Rose Quartz to arrive. Dragon's Eye noticed her absence in the various discussions. The orange gem glanced over to her and nudged her a bit, whispering. "Aren't ya gonna join in?"_

_Tiger's Eye shook her head in return. The only real reason she came here to the saloon was for the entertainment. If Rose never started entertaining, she would be doing training after-dark with Dragon's Eye._

_Several minutes went by before the familiar face of Rose Quartz appeared from outside. The sound of the wooden doors swinging open grabbed everyone's attention. Everyone turned and looked towards Rose who was now walking across saloon. She headed over to the stage and stepped onto it. Her eyes scanned across the crowd as gems cheered. She hadn't even started speaking, yet everyone was already applauding her arrival._

_Rose's face became flushed. Shaking her head, she grew a wide grin and began her nightly entertainment. The crowd stayed quiet while she spoke and laughed when she finished. This was routine for the army, yet it never grew old for anyone. Except for Dragon's Eye. The orange gem was hardly listening to anything her leader said on stage. She grew bored as she played with a strand of her short hair. Everyone around her was paying attention to Rose, incognizant of the disinterested gem._

_No one noticed her stand up and tread over to the entrance, not even Tiger's Eye. When the short gem approached the entrance, she pushed through the swinging doors. Garnet and Pearl, both standing by the doors, paid no mind. They were too captivated by Rose's performance._

_The darkness of the night overwhelmed Dragon's Eye the moment she stepped outside. The stars that riddled the sky illuminated the ground, giving it a soft glow. The gem was also giving off a subtle glow, the stars illuminating her as well. She didn't usually come outside during nighttime, but when she did, it felt… Peaceful. She felt a calming sensation every time she did it, and it inspired her to work hard. Dragon's Eye found it weird, though. Usually a peaceful atmosphere lead to a calming conclusion, but not for her._

_She grinned as she sauntered down a dirt path leading to the training grounds. She kept her pace slow so she could take in the calming atmosphere around her. Grains of dirt skipped every time her feet touched the dirt ground. She arrived at the outskirts of her destination, standing in front of a gate. Pushing it open, she made her way inside. She was now surrounded by various dummies and racks of weapons._

_The orange gem walked over to various racks of swords. She reached toward a rack holding swords made for fencing and picked up a saber. She gingerly ran her finger across the blade, humming a bit. Dragon's Eye liked to train with the sharpest swords. She liked testing both her accuracy and lethality. She only did this so she'd have a good replacement for her weapon. She still hadn't mastered summoning it yet. The short gem moved her hand down to the grip, clutching it. The thin layer of leather wrapped around the handle felt warm against her touch._

_Dragon's Eye held the sword up high, the blade glistening under the stars' twinkle. She then closed her eyes as her gem began to emit a mahogany radiance. Everything was silent. The gem concentrated, even straining herself a little bit. Her eyes then shot open, interrupting her concentration. The gem looked around, making sure no one was there. 'Phew…'_

_The short gem was trying to summon her own hologram. Several years ago, many rookies learned this skill from Pearl in a desolate forest. She was one of those rookies. Due to the location of her gem, she had a hard time with the lessons. It always felt awkward for her, trying to summon a doppelganger from her backside. She also had various struggles due to her gem's location._

_Sometimes her hologram would come out wrong and malfunctioning. Other times it would try to attack her. With her back turned, she wouldn't have known. Despite her issues with summoning it, she kept going anyway. Though, even with her determination, embarrassing moments still arose. Dragon's Eye wanted to make sure no other gems were here to watch her. Assuring no one was around, she went back to concentrating. It didn't take long before the glow radiating from her gem returned._

_The small dragon's eye made a valiant effort in summoning a partner to train on. Before she knew it, a small flash of light revealed a holographic doppelganger. With a gasp of accomplishment, she turned around, a wide smile on her face. She did it! She was successful! The excited gem then grew a look that welcomed battle. Grasping her saber in hand, she told the hologram to begin the battle. Following her command, the doppelganger grabbed its own saber. It then began to fight with Dragon's Eye._

_Adrenaline rushed through the young gem as she trained hard. Sweat ran down her face and body as she moved across the battle field. She sent hard offensive blows and practiced her defensive moves. It was wonderful to her. She felt like she was flying through the air. Swiftly whisking around the battlefield made her feel free. She was both calmed by it and excited by it. This made her training even easier than it should be._

_She soonhad to stop in her tracks and send a finishing blow. As the two were neck and neck, Dragon's Eye prepared to disarm her opponent. The hologram followed suit, preparing to send a drastic swing toward the young gem. She grinned, jerking her saber in a way that sent the others' weapon soaring. It landed on the dirt a few feet away. Without hesitation, Dragon's Eye jabbed the blade right into her doppelganger's abdomen._

_After yanking the sword out of itself, the hologram announced, "Match set! Challenger wins!" It spoke with a voice that sounded like the red gem, but more robotic. Before Dragon's Eye knew it, the orange projection disappeared into thin air. The fight took longer than expected, but the young gem was proud of herself. In the midst of battle, she learned some new techniques herself. With a few huffs and puffs, she trudged over to the racks and set the saber back in its place._

_Dragon's Eye sat down on the dirt, weary from the fight. She wasn't used to training this much alone. Despite her clear tiredness, she was still pumped. The experience was exhilarating, and she planned on doing it more. She wanted to get stronger and learn more and more quicker and quicker. The only way she knew how was to do it _again _and_ again_._

###

_Almost three weeks had gone by since Dragon's Eye started this new nightly routine. She would stay outside in the training fields while the others went on to the saloon. Her peers weren't worried the first few days, but that changed one night..._

_Despite the fact they always see the young gem the next day, something felt off. Tiger's Eye worried she was becoming introverted and losing confidence like she had before. Cornelian thought she was just outside screwing around. She didn't take much liking to the orange "nuisance"._

_Tiger's Eye went and sat at the table. The saloon had just opened for the night, and her best friend wasn't there with her. She shifted in her seat a bit as she tried to get the unwanted thoughts out of her head. Several other gems in her posse arrived, but there was no sign of Dragon's Eye. This feeling of loneliness and worry made the gem shift in her seat a little more._

_Opalite seemed to notice her odd behavior. She scooted her seat over to the golden gem, looking at her. Speaking in a quiet voice, the white gem asked, "Are you okay..?"_

_The other gem glanced at her concerned colleague. Due to her shyness, Opalite never questioned the well-being of others gems before. But it seemed the gem's concern overrode her social awkwardness and took over. She questioned Tiger's Eye again, hoping to get an answer. The golden gem sighed, opening her helmet to reveal her mouth. "I'm fine… I guess." She responded in a quiet tone._

_The caring opalite, who had a heart-shaped gem, drew closer to her upset comrade. She didn't like seeing her teammates upset. "You guess..?" Tiger's Eye only gave a nod in response, now avoiding eye contact._

_The golden gem was extremely worried for her friend, the one she called a 'sister'. She remembered back when Pearl taught rookie gems... Back when the small gem was too scared to do anything. It upset her quite a bit. Dragon's Eye was too embarrassed to train in front of anyone because of how inept she was. It _all_ was due to her gem's location. Tiger's Eye worried—due to the other gems' attitude—her old emotional habits had returned._

_Opalite made another attempt in calming her upset peer down. She suggested to go look for Dragon's Eye instead of sitting here and worrying. Tiger's Eye's head perked up as she looked at the white gem, thankfulness in her eyes. Before she knew it, the gem was gone out the door._

_It was raining outside. The grass was soaking while thin streams of water flowed between the lumps in the dirt. Small indents in the gooey ground held small puddles of water. It started raining not too long ago, but the dirt path was already muddy. Tiger's Eye darted along the path, mud flying up with every impact her foot made. She made her way to her destination. She was soon able to see the training grounds from afar, through the dark rain._

_The gem drew closer and closer until she finally reached the gates. She gasped, seeing something she never expected to see. It was Dragon's Eye, fighting an identical hologram; saber on saber. Tiger's Eye expected to see the sad, young gem she had unfortunately grown to know. Despite the relentless downpour, the golden gem was proud. She never saw her sister this invested in training, let alone against a hologram _she_ created._

_The gem continued to spectate as Dragon's Eye fought against her opponent. Just as the hologram was about to strike, she took the chance first. Slashing at the opponent, the match was finally over. The hologram announced the challenger the winner and dissolved into thin air. The short gem had no idea of her friend's presence._

_Catching her breath, Dragon's Eye headed over to the racks and put the saber up. She jumped a bit when she heard mild clapping coming from her friend behind the fences. She turned to see who it was and blushed upon seeing Tiger's Eye. She would've tried to run away, but this was Tiger's Eye, her best friend... Her sister. The golden gem approached the smaller one, a proud smile hidden underneath her helmet._

_"Nice swordsmanship." Tiger's Eye complimented, now standing in front of her smaller red counterpart. An awkward chuckle and avoidance of eye contact was the only response that came to her. Dragon's Eye was still blushing, embarrassed someone had seen any amount of her training. The young gem didn't exactky know why she was so anxious. She trained in front of everyone else during normal sessions! But that was because everyone else did the same thing as her… Right? No... She did things differently; _her _way._

_The amber-colored gem rested her hand on Dragon's Eye shoulder. "I understand why you came out here…" Tiger's Eye then said. "It makes it easier to learn without an audience." She knew the red gem inside and out. This was the only reason she could think of the gem sneaking out here to swordfight. A nod came in response, along with the gem looking up at Tiger's Eye._

_The smaller gem felt free. She had no reason to fret anymore. The few days she'd been training out here gave her time to think over the past. Silence continued to filled the air. After a few more moments, the gem rocketed towards Tiger's Eye. With her arms outstretched, she wrapped them around her and hugged her tight. This caught the older one off guard for a few seconds before she returned the hug._

_She had no reason to fear._

###

Pearl, anxious, remained silent while Garnet made an attempt to converse with their "hostage". The dark red gem already knew who Cornelian and Dragon's Eye were, but that was long ago. She knew people changed over time.

Without a moment's hesitation, Garnet began to ask various questions about her arrival here. For each question she asked, the larger orange gem would respond with hesitation. Cornelian was trying to stall the conversation so she'd have more time to think of a way out.

Pearl's emotions were quite contrary to Garnet's stoic manner. She was paranoid! Something about this place made her feel uneasy. It didn't help with Cornelian making obvious attempts to lengthen their mission. Looking around as they walked, some about this forest also felt familiar... It was almost as if she's been here before. This feeling told her she was here a _long_ time ago, maybe even back during the army! Despite her nerves, Pearl tried to keep her composure. She knew she had to stay calm and alert, just in case anything jumped out at them.

The three continued to walk through the forest, Garnet looking straight ahead. She had finished questioning Cornelian, causing a silence to whisk over them. Despite silence overwhelming the forest in their vicinity, something still felt off to Pearl. Her instincts told her they should be extra careful, but she wasn't sure. The gem tried to convince herself it was just the paranoia talking.

The further they walked, the more Pearl was sure she was going to give up. Maybe Dragon's Eye actually _wasn't _there! Who knew?

"_Garnet?_" The gem piped up, now wanting to convince Garnet to come back later. The red gem stopped in her tracks and turned to look at Pearl. The slim gem continued, "_Uh…_ Do you think we could _maybe_ come back here another time? I don't think Dragon's Eye is—" A sudden burst of dust filled the air before she could finish. They couldn't open their eyes until dust passed away.

A large metallic object hit the three gems before they got the chance to recover. Not even Garnet's big hair could protect her from the hard object. The three gems were now on the ground, unconscious.


End file.
